Liquid dispensing and feeding apparatus



"March 18, 1952 Filed May 1]., 1950 W. F. COHRS LIQUID DISPENSING AND FEEDING APPARATUS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 March 18. 1952 w, F, COHRS 2,589,992

LIQUID DISPENSING AND FEEDING APPARATUS Filed May 11, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Patented Mar. 18, 1952 LIQUID DISPENSING AND' FEEDING APPARATUS 'WalterlE-Cohrs, Glencoe, Minn.

Application May 11, 1950, 'SerialNo. 161,367

4 Claims.

My invention relates .igenerallyzto liquid dispensing apparatus and .more -specifically to rapparatus for automaticallydispensing liquidssuch as chemicals or the like in relatively. smallquantities, and delivering the same 'to its'point of use.

More particularly, my invention relates to mechanism for adding smallquantities ofgchemicals, such as acid, to waterfor the preventionof scale I or the like "in a water container, :as .for instance in the cooling-systems of liquid+cooled stationary engines.

An important object of my invention is the provision of apparatuswhich will automatically dispense predetermined quantities of liquid at a uniform predetermined rate.

Another object of my invention is the .pI'OVision of apparatus as set forth in which the rate of feed of the liquid may be varied.

A's't'ill further object of my invention is the provision of a'dispenser of theabovetype which acters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is'a view inside elevationo'fmymovel dispensing and feeding'mech'anism Fig. 2 is a view in plan;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially onthe line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail partly in elevation and partly in section of a portion of the feeding mechanism of my invention.

In the cooling of liquid stationary enginesof the water cooled internal combustion type, it is often necessary to'trea't the coolant with certain chemicals, such as sulphuric-acid or the like, in order to...prevent scale from forming in the coolingsystem. For the purposeof adding thee'xact required amount of chemical, I provide a container for holding the chemical, which is liquid in .form, and means for extracting 'the liquid from said container at a predetermined uniform rate and delivering the same to the cooling system. In the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates in its entirety a .frame structure comprising a base 2 and a pair-of laterally spaced side frame members 3 and 4. An upright bracket 5 is rigidly secured by nut-equipped screws or the like 'Stothe upperend portions of the frame members '3 and 4 and. isIprOVided with a shelf element 1 upon-which-is adapted to rest an inverted container 8. Theicontainer 8 is held in position by a holding strapor the-like 9 secured to the upperend portionof the bmcke't 5 by nut-equipped bolts or the like I 0.

The mouth of the container 8 is .closed-by=-a sealing ring or cap -ll havingacentrahopening 5-2 which extends ax-ially of the vcontainer li and into which is pressed the upperend of a depending open-ended tubu1ar'conduit l3. -The conduit I3 extends downwardly through:an opening [4 in the shelf 7 and overlies .a-funnel-like-receiver 15 mounted in the .base 12 and connected to a flexible tube orconduit 16 which may .beassumed to lead to the cooling watersupplysource or to the cooling system of .an engine. The liquid chemical for treating the -.water is indicated by X in-Fig. 3. -A plunger rod 'I'l 'isshown as projecting loosely upwardly through the .conduit l3 into-the-interior of the container 18. It should be noted that when the container .8 in its inverted position as shown, that the differential in air pressure between the ins-i'de of the container T8 and surrounding atmosphere maintains the liquid X in equilibrium therein. Upward movement of the plunger rod H to a predetermined extent causes some .of .the air within the container T8 to'be 'displaced, }the rby upsetting the equilibrium of the liquid therein and permitting the liquid to Zfloivv downwardly through conduit l3' and into receiver l5 until equilibrium is restored. on the other hand, downward movement of the plunger rod l'l'Fw'ith respect to the container dincreases the partial vacuum Ltherein .suificiently to cause Lair to rise upwardly through the conduit [3 toth'e interior of the .containerfiuntil equilibrium is again restored.

From the above it will be seen that the amount of movement of the plunger rod l1 determines the amount of the liquid X to be dispensed Item the container. I have found "that "by controlling the length of axial movement-of thepl'unger rod I! that I can regulate dispensing ofliquid X to a very exact degree.

I provide means 'for imparting recipfocatory movements to theplunger'rod I'Lsaidmea'ns includi'ng a rock arm 18 mounted at itsirit'e'rmediate portion on a horizontally disposed "ojc'k shaft I 9 journalle'd at its opposite e'ndsiin the opposite side me'inber's3 and' l. "Oneendfo'ft je rock arm 18 is provided with an extension $20 which underlies the lower end of thepmnger rod I1 and is engageable therewith upon rocking movements to raise the same. The plunger rod I1 is preferably made from glass or metal impervious to chemical action of the liquid X, as is the extension 20, and is gravity-biased toward engagement with the extended portion 20. The opposite end of the rock arm [8 overlies and is adapted to be engagedby a cam 2! mounted fast on a rotary shaft 22 which is journalled in the opposite side frame members 3 and 4, and which is driven by an electric motor 23 to the shaft 24 of which is rigidly secured a pinion 25. Said pinion 25 has meshing engagement with a gear 26 mounted fast on an extended end portion of the shaft 22. As shown, the motor 23 is mounted on the base 2 by means of mounting screws or the like 21. A coil tension spring 28 is anchored at one end of the base 2 and at its other end to a down-turned flange 18 on the rock arm l8 intermediate the rock shaft l9 and the cam 2| whereby to exert yielding bias against the adjacent end of the rock arm 18 in the direction of the cam 2|. The extent of rocking move-' ments of the rock arm I8 is controlled by a stop element 29 mounted fast on a shaft 30 which is journalled in the opposite side frame members 3 and 4 between the shafts I9 and 22 and parallel thereto.

The stop element 29 is eccentric to the shaft 30 whereby rotation thereof will cause the stop element 29 to be moved upwardly or downwardly as desired. A control knob 3| is mounted fast on one end of the shaft 30 laterally outwardly of'the side frame member 3 for manual control of the stop element 29. Suitable friction means not shown are employed to prevent accidental rotation of shaft 39.

Rotation of the shaft 22 causes the cam 21 to move into operative engagement with the adjacent end of the arm I8 whereby to impart rocking movements thereto and resultant reciprocating movement to the plunger rod l1. As heretofore described, the reciprocating movements of the plunger rod [1 will cause alternate escape of a predetermined quantity of liquid X downwardly through the conduit l3, and ingress of air therethrough to the interior of the container 8. By reason of the fact that the motor 23 runs at a constant speed, a uniform rate of flow of the liquid X from the container 8 is assured, said rate of flow being capable of variations by manual movement of the stop element 29 to raise or lower the quantity of fluid X desired.

' Myv invention has been thoroughly tested and found to be completely satisfactory for the accomplishment of the objectives set forth; and while I have shown and described a commercial embodiment of my novel dispensing apparatus, it will be understood that the same is capable of modification without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

v .What I claim is:

. 1 Ina device of the class described, a frame structure, a liquid container, means mounting saidcontainer in an inverted position on said frame structure, an open-ended tubular dispensingfconduit dependin from the inverted container, a plunger rod extending loosely through ,said conduit for axial movements therethrough and having its upper end portion disposed withinfsaid container, the liquid in the container being normally retained in equilibrium by a differential in air pressure, movement of said plunger rod 'an upward direction causing a pressure rise within said container and a resultant flow of liquid therefrom until equilibrium is restored, movement of the plunger rod in the opposite direction causing a pressure drop within said container whereby air is drawn upwardly through said conduit to restore equilibrium, a rock arm journalled intermediate its ends in said frame structure, one end of said rock arm being engageable with the lower end of saidplunger rod to impart raising and lowering movements thereto, a cam engageable with the opposite end of said rock arm to impart rocking movements thereto, and yielding means biasing said rock arm in the direction of the cam.

. 2. The structure defined in claim 1 in further combination with manually operated means for controlling the extent of rocking movement of said arm.

3. In a device of the class described, a frame structure, a liquid container, means mounting said container in an inverted position on said frame structure, an open-ended tubular dispensing conduit depending from the inverted container, a plunger rod extending loosely through said conduit for axial movements therethrough and having its upper end portion disposed within said container, the liquid in the container being normally retained in equilibrium by a differential in air pressure, movement of said plunger rod in an upward direction causing a pressure rise within said container and a resultant fiow of liquid therefrom until equilibrium is restored, movement of the plunger rod in the opposite direction causin a pressure drop within said container whereby air is drawn upwardly through said conduit to restore equilibrium, a rock arm journalled intermediate its ends in said frame structure, one end of said rock arm being engageable with the lower end of said plunger rod to impart raising and lowering movements thereto, a cam engageable with the opposite end of said rock arm to impart rocking movements thereto, yielding means biasing said rock arm in the direction of the cam, and means limiting rocking movements of said rock arm in one direction, said means comprising a manually adjustable stop element mounted on said frame and engageable with said rock arm intermediate the pivot axis thereof and said cam.

4. The structure defined in claim 3 in which the plunger rod engaging end portion of said rock arm underlies said plunger rod, and in which said plunger rod is gravity biased toward engagement therewith.

WALTER F. COHRS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

